Shloka 59

अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः

Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces

Devanagari script

परंतप! उन दोनोंका वह महान्‌ युद्ध बड़ा भयंकर था। प्रजानाथ! वैसा युद्ध मैंने पहले कभी नहीं देखा था ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

parantapa! ubhayos tayoḥ sa mahān yuddhaḥ bhṛśaṃ bhayānaka āsīt | prajānātha! tādṛśaṃ yuddhaṃ mayā pūrvaṃ kadācana na dṛṣṭam ||

kṛtavarmā tato rājann uttamaujasaṃ āhave | hṛdi vivyādha sahasā rathopasthe upāviśat ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Hỡi bậc thiêu đốt quân thù! Trận đại chiến giữa hai người ấy thật ghê rợn tột cùng. Hỡi chúa tể muôn dân! Trước đây ta chưa từng thấy một cuộc giao tranh như thế. Rồi, tâu Đại vương, Kṛtavarmā bất thần đánh trúng ngực Uttamaujā ngay giữa chiến địa. Uttamaujā như kẻ mất thần, khuỵu xuống và ngồi dạt về phía sau cỗ chiến xa của mình.”

Word by Word

• कृतवर्मा: Kṛtavarmā
• कृतवर्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतवर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• उत्तमौजसम्: Uttamaujā
• उत्तमौजसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तमौजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हृदि: in the heart/chest
• हृदि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• विव्याध: pierced, struck
• विव्याध: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)

• रथोपस्थे: on the seat of the chariot
• रथोपस्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ + उपस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• उपाविशत्: sat down, sank down
• उपाविशत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-विश् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by vocatives parantapa, prajānātha, rājan)
• Kṛtavarmā
• Uttamaujā
• ratha (chariot)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the brutal reality of war as witnessed by a truthful narrator: even renowned warriors can be suddenly incapacitated. It implicitly cautions that martial prowess and life itself are fragile amid adharma-driven conflict, while also reflecting the kṣatriya world where duty and violence coexist.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the duel was unprecedentedly terrifying. In the next moment, Kṛtavarmā delivers a sudden, deep blow to Uttamaujā’s chest, causing Uttamaujā to lose awareness and slump onto the rear/seat area of his chariot.